How to Work Less and Get Waaay More Done

You know those (extremely) rare workdays that just seem to fly by? A new book says it's possible to recreate that feeling, all day, every day. Here's how...

By
Jessica Knoll

Jan 27, 2010

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Imagine that your boss offers you $100 to complete a challenging new project as quickly as possible. He then asks your coworker to complete the same project, but without any kind of cash reward or time constraint. Who is more likely to finish first? According to the theory in Daniel Pink's fascinating new book, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates You, your coworker is.

What the what? We'd think that extra wad of cash would be a serious motivator. But it turns out that intrinsic motivation — the drive to do something because it is interesting, challenging, and absorbing — is far more effective in producing results than extrinsic motivation — the "if you do this, then I'll give you that" model that most businesses use with their employees. This is because when a reward is offered, as it is in the scenario above, you become more focused on those shiny new pumps that $100 would afford you, rather than on the best way to complete the task. Drive says that the secret to being more productive and feeling more fulfilled is to enjoy what you're doing, and to feel rewarded by the work itself.

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We know — easier said than done. But Drive takes into consideration that even if you're not 100 percent in love with your job, you can still be more successful and feel happier just by figuring out which tasks truly engage you — aka those rare moments of, "Ohmigod, I missed lunch I was so caught up in my work." Drive refers to these moments as "flow," and offers up nine strategies to produce flow more often, and for longer periods of time. Here's one of them:

Give Yourself a "Flow" TestHere's how: Set a reminder on your computer or cell to go off forty random times in a week. Each time it beeps, write down what you're doing, how you're feeling, and whether you're in "flow." Record your observations, look at the patterns, and consider the following questions:

* Which moments produced feelings of "flow?" Where were you? Who were you with? * Are certain times of day more flow-friendly than others? How could you restructure your day based on your findings? * How might you increase the number of optimal experiences and reduce moments when you felt disengaged or distracted?